Big Frakking Grab Bag
by Jason Thompson
Summary: Giving the Rag-Tag Fleet the HP Bunny Ranch treatment...This'll be the place I place all those story ideas that may be fit to print but not fit to expand. Multiple charecters, multiple pairings, all AUs. Mostly unrelated. Now comes in mint flavor!
1. The More Things Changes

**The More Things Change**

_Summery: After New Caprica, the fleet moves on with the last surviving Battlestar in the Universe, the Battlestar Pegasus. _

Bill Adama walked the corridors of Galactica for the final time. He was making one last inspection before they scuttled the old girl and left the binary star system with the fleet. The once great ship was nearly unrecognizable to his senses. The constant hum of the engines was gone, the reactors shut down and stripped days ago, he'd only missed the pulse now that it was gone. Most of the deck plates and wall panels had been pulled out as well, leaving only a walking path of floor grates.

He passed a bare weapons locker on his way to the flight deck, they'd even dismantled the shelf units and removed them. Everything that was of use was off the ship; equipment, materials, fuel cells, the armor plating off the hull, any salvageable engine components and of course the crew. They'd only left enough generators to maintain gravity and enough CO2 scrubbers to maintain atmosphere.

He stepped onto the flight deck and found a solitary raptor waiting for him with the final evacuation team. He looked at the other two people with the team, they were there for moral support he supposed. The newly reinstated President Laura Roslin gave him a sympathetic expression that he appreciated for more then he would have thought. He gave her a half-hearted smile in return.

Next to Laura was the new Vice-President, Saul Tigh looked strange on the flight deck with a civilian suit and the black eye-patch that covered the gore that had once been his right eye reminded them far more than anything of how much had changed since they'd arrived on New Caprica.

Well, almost more than anything. There were two other things that served an even greater reminders, the Pegasus Patch that was newly sewn on his left shoulder and the fact that after forty years and three tours; as a pilot as an XO and finally as her Commander, this was his final moment with Galactica.

He paused near a bulkhead and ran his hand over the metal with reverence and remembered the initial aftermath of their escape from New Caprica. The battle both in the skies and on the ground was brutal and bloody. Lee had the Pegasus jump into the midst of the Base Ships and he led the fighter wing personally as they covered the raptors full of marines that would engage in combat and rescue operations on the surface.

Moments later, he'd jumped Galactica in and sent their fighters out to take out the raiders. Both Battlestars suffered heavy losses, and for a moment it looked like he'd lost Lee which had caused Dee to hesitate in her orders and freeze up. He'd never forget the relief he'd felt when he heard Lee's voice over the coms ordering Lieutenant Thornton to assume command of the Pegasus and begin hurling heavy ordinance at the base ships.

The people on the ground had been quietly preparing key ships for the escape and seeing to escape plans waiting for the day that Adama would return for them. When the fighting began, they put their plans in motion, including drugging President Baltar and leaving him in a tent. Sam Anders and Tyrol led a raid on the prison facility and managed to get most of their people out, Anders had been lost in the raid when he tried to get a wounded marine out of the line of fire.

They had lost almost ten-thousand souls to New Caprica but the escape was successful and the two Battlestars jumped away the moment their ships were aboard. After they rendezvoused with the rest of the Fleet and began to assess the damage, Captain Agathon made the fateful announcement. Their FTL was failing and several key systems were damaged beyond repair. He'd called Master Chief Laird off the Pegasus and he confirmed the report, the Galactica was dead in the sky.

He looked at his young XO and spoke the words that broke his heart. "Chief Laird, co-ordinate with Commander Adama to prepare salvage operations. Captain Agathon, order all hands to abandon ship."

Though their people worked as fast as possible, the salvage took nearly a month. Bill thought it was only fair that he oversee the operation, sort of like taking his faithful dog out back and putting it down. Lee had promoted Karl to Colonel and they had been integrating the crews into one unit. For the first time since before the Attacks they had more people than jobs, no longer would people like Gaeta or Hoshi or Dee be pulling double or triple duty and the pilots would be afforded the luxury of more regular rotations. It might even work out better than before the Pegasus arrived.

That is, once the people who were re-enlisting got back into the swing of the military life, and provided the Pegasus people and Galactica people didn't step on each other's toes too much in the beginning. Then there was the strong possibility that Dee and Kara would kill each other on sight, or Kara and Karl, or even Lee and Kara. Then again, after the last year, it's possible the same could be said for Lee and himself.

He frowned at that thought, how had he allowed things to fall apart so completely?

He cast those thoughts aside, they did no one any good. He walked over to the raptor and ordered the evac team on board. Saul looked the flight deck over, then shook his head and groused, "It's a frakking shame."

Bill nodded, "Well said." Saul stepped into the raptor after one last fond look.

Laura smiled sadly at the disappearing back of her Vice-President. "He's so cheerful."

Bill felt his mouth upturn at her small joke and said. "His call sign was 'Cuddles.'" When she gave him a disbelieving look he put his right hand over his heart, "I swear."

She shook her head, "I can believe it."

He took his own final look around then sighed, "It's like leaving home for the last time."

She nodded and spoke softly, "I am so sorry Bill."

He turned to her with a grateful expression, "On the move again."

She nodded and smiled, "As Kara might say, 'Earth or Bust.'"

"'Earth or Bust.'" He held out his elbow to her, "We should get moving. Commander Adama is no doubt ready to go."

She took his arm and he led them into the raptor. Minutes later, they were off the Galactica. Bill moved into the co-pilot's seat and ordered Racetrack to make a pass alongside. He took in every inch of his ship for the final time before ordering Racetrack to Colonial One and to give the all clear to Pegasus. He didn't want to see the moment Galactica went up in a flash of superheated atmosphere.

When he felt a minor tremor from the shock wave as they started landing procedures with Colonial One, it felt like a part of his heart died.

&&&&&&&&&


	2. Should Have Made a Right

**Should Have Made a Right at the Antares Maelstrom**

Summery: Presented with the wasteland of "Earth" the Crew of Galactica meet up with a pair of strangers traveling the Universe…

Lee Adama looked out over the ruins of Earth and fought against the creeping sensation of despair crawling up his spine. The desolate landscape was grey upon grey upon grey; ruined buildings were all around them, suggesting to the former pilot that they were in the ruins of a city. A destroyed bridge stood out amongst the rubble in the shallow water between the land they stood upon and a nearby island. Further out, the ocean roiled angrily as white caps crashed against the shore.

Earth. The fabled home of their long lost cousins, the mythic Thirteenth Tribe. It was a graveyard.

All around him, the people he'd grown to care for during their exodus were devastated. Karl and Sharon were clinging to each other, Sam, Galen and Tori had each wandered off, as had Leoben. Caprica Six seemed to be trying to take comfort in Tigh while Dee knelt and dug into the dirt near the shore line. Strangely, at least to Lee, Baltar seemed to be trying to comfort D'Anna Biers.

His father and Laura were up ahead, his father angrily brushing away the dirt on his palm while Laura tried to draw strength from him or perhaps offering solace to him. He turned away from the private moment his father was having…

Then there was Kara. He could see clearly that she was devastated. She'd died and been reborn with so much hope and energy and purpose. She'd come back to save the human race and Lee suspected that she was offering up Earth to those she cared about as a penance for all the sins she felt she was guilty of.

She turned towards him and when she saw him looking at her she looked away shamefully and seemed to shrink into herself as she buried her hands into her pockets. He pulled the heavy field jacket tightly around himself and meandered towards Kara.

When he got to her side he pulled Kara into his arms and pressed his lips to her brow. Kara fought against his embrace for a few seconds before sinking into him with a whimper. He could hear her muffled voice repeating, "I'm sorry."

He kissed her forehead again followed by her cheek; he then placed his lips near her ear and whispered, "Shh, Kara. Shh. It's not your fault. I don't blame you, and I won't let anyone else blame you either." He cooed in her ear a while longer, telling her over and over she wasn't to blame.

After a few minutes she hiccupped a small laugh and spoke in his ear. "You won't let anybody blame me?"

He smiled at the hint of humor in her voice, "Nobody."

Her shoulders shook a little and she said, "Even me?"

He held her out at arm's length, "_Especially_ you!" He then adopted the most pompous expression he could, "No one will dare contradict me either. I'm still interim President."

She smiled through her tears then they wrapped each other up in a tight embrace again. Lee felt her face burrow into the side of his throat and he squeezed her ever tighter.

Lee had no idea how long they stood like that but after a while he started to hear a… noise.

He'd never heard a sound quite like it before… a metallic sort-of grinding sound. It seemed to be coming from the clearing near the waterline. Just then a breeze picked up, they all turned toward the clearing, he loosened his grip on Kara and she turned in his embrace, her hand falling to the sidearm at her hip.

The noise grew louder and then quite unexpectedly a shape faded into view. It was a blue wooden box about the size of a raptor stood on its tail. It had two rows of opaque windows around the top and a flashing blue light on top. Lee could make out a sign near the top that read "Police Public Call Box."

The noise and flashing light continued until the box looked solid. There was a pause and then a creak as a door opened on one side of the box. A voice with a slight Caprican accent sounded from within, "At last, Barcelona!"

A tall man stepped out of the box. He had wild brown hair, a brown pinstriped suit and a tan full-length duster. When he saw the scenery he frowned, "Bloody hell, I'm starting to suspect I'll never get to Barcelona."

A moment later a shorter blonde woman stepped out of the box as well. She was dressed in dark slacks and a blue jacket. When she surveyed the scene her full lips formed a pout and she spoke, also in a Caprican accent, "_This_ is Barcelona? I was expecting something… Nicer."

The man frowned and pulled a pair of dark rimmed glasses out of his pocket and put them on, "No, this isn't Barcelona." He took a deep breath, kneeled down and picked up a handful of dirt. He brought the soil to his nose and sniffed it, "Irradiated. Nuclear bombardment, I'd say two maybe three thousand years ago. There was a war here."

The girl looked up and saw Lee and the rest watching them, "Doctor."

The man looked up and seeing the confused faces around him he did something rather unexpected. He smiled wide and spoke in a chipper voice, "Hello!"

Karl and Sharon happened to be the two closest to them so he approached them as he brushed off his hands, the blonde a couple of steps behind him. He stepped right up to the pair with an outstretched hand and said, "I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. Who might you be?" It seemed that everyone save the Doctor's companion had been completely thunderstruck by first the appearance of the blue box and then the two people that emerged from it.

The ECO frowned in confusion for a moment before he took man's hand, "Karl Agathon."

If anything, the man's impossibly wide smile got even wider, "Pleased to meet you, Karl." He turned to Sharon, "Who's this? Is she your wife? Girlfriend?"

Karl stammered before saying, "This is my wife, Sharon."

The Doctor pumped the Cylon's hand and said, "Sharon. A pleasure…" He stopped shaking her hand and his head tilted inquisitively before his eyes widened, "You're an android!"

Both Agathons yelled at once, "WHAT?"

The Doctor inspected her hand, "My word! What incredible workmanship too, simply amazing! I've never seen the like of it. I mean usually you can tell an android a mile away. There are always so many giveaways, well as long as you're as clever as me, that is." He turned back to Helo, "She's gorgeous too! Good on you mate!"

The Admiral had seemed to compose himself and he stormed over to the new arrival, "Who the hell are you?"

The Doctor took a step back with a stunned expression, "I'm the Doctor."

Adama scowled, "Is that supposed to mean something?"

The strange man shrugged, "As much as any name means anything."

Recent events took their toll on the Old Man and he gripped the Doctor by the lapels, but before he could throttle the man Roslin stepped in. "Bill."

After a moment, Bill let him go. Roslin meanwhile seemed to transform from weary woman back into collected politician in an instant. "Forgive us Doctor. It's just that we've traveled an incredibly long way. We've been trying to find Earth for over four years now and to find it destroyed-"

The man looked at her cockeyed, "This isn't Earth."

Suddenly the Doctor and Rose were crowded by a large group of humans and Cylons. Kara found her voice for the first time, "No… This is Earth. This is the Earth we were sent to from Kobol. Where the Thirteenth Tribe traveled in the early days of the Exodus, this is definitely Earth. No matter how much I wish otherwise."

The man laughed, "Believe me, I know Earth. I've seen more of Earth's history than just about anyone. I've never seen it like this. Hang on." He pulled a device out of his pocket and put it to his ear. He pressed a button on it and it made a high-pitched buzz while the tip lit up blue, after a moment of listening to it he smiled again and said, "Yep! Late March, Two-thousand and… Six. Definitely not Earth!"

He started to replace the device when his hand paused, "Wait. Did you say Kobol?" He turned to Kara, "Kobol? As in the fabled ancient home of the first man? Twelve Lords of Kobol? The Jealous God and the Exodus? That would mean… Of course!" He gave off a manic laugh and began to speak very rapidly "The Twelve Colonies! The ten year war with the-" With a gasp he turned back to Sharon, "CYLONS! You're a Cylon!" He then pointed at Leoben, "You too! This is brilliant! That means you're Kara Thrace!"

Kara's eyes widened but the Doctor didn't let up, "The young Viper pilot who died and was reborn and was the first Colonial to set foot on Earth! I love it! You've had such a long journey… only to be waaaaaay off!" He paused, "Well. Maybe not way off. But you're still nowhere near Earth." He looked up into the grey sky and he frowned, "Earth is about three hundred light years from here."

Lee frowned, "You've been to Earth?"

Rose smiled, "We're there all the time. I'm from Earth in fact."

The Doctor nodded, "It's a fantastic little planet. Full of mountains, rivers, islands and oceans, television, music, chips and lil' shops-"

Rose's giggle gave the Doctor pause, "You certainly like a lil' shop."

He grinned at the girl and seemed to forget the crowd around him, "I do like a lil' shop, I really do. I mean a place where you can get just about anything. I like that they always have reminders of where you are, and sweets. Well, I suppose you can get the sweets anywhere. Well, for that matter I suppose you could get any of the rest of it anywhere too but they're all in one place in a lil' shop! I personally think that they're one of mankind's greatest achievements."

The young girl who moments ago claimed to be from Earth folded her arms across her chest skeptically, "Seriously?"

He shrugged, "Well… That or maybe the music of The Ramones."

She slapped his chest then smiled at him in a rather flirtatious manner, "I knew it! You are such a punk!"

His nearly ever-present smile turned into a rather smug grin, "You certainly seem to like that I'm a bit of a punk, Rose Tyler."

D'Anna was standing next to Lee and Kara and she leaned over to say to Tory, "He's got a strange sort of charm, reminds me of Gaius."

From somewhere behind them, Baltar squawked, "What!"

Tory smiled slightly and replied, "Gaius was never this charming."

If he was indignant before, Gaius was furious now. He stomped off in a snit.

Lee finally decided to ask the Doctor the one thing that had been on his mind since the man said this wasn't Earth. "If this isn't Earth, and you know where it is, then could you tell us how to get there?"

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look before he said, "I'll need to see some charts."

Bill exchanged a look with his son and Kara before the Admiral said, "We'll take you onto Galactica."

"Better yet, I'll take some of you up on the TARDIS."

Kara barked out a laugh, "No offence, but that looks like if there's more than the two of you we'll be flying up there on each other's laps."

The Doctor turned to her with a scandalized expression; it was a look Lee had last seen on Kara's face when Narcho referred to the Blackbird as a "homemade tin can," "Oi! Don't knock my ship! I don't run around talking down your ships, now do I?"

Rose smiled, "Relax Doctor. They just don't know." She turned to Kara and Lee almost conspiratorially, "The TARDIS is bigger on the inside."

Lee turned towards his father and Laura, "I'm game."

Starbuck smirked at the rather annoyed Doctor and said, "You couldn't keep me off his little ship."

The Admiral frowned then turned to Sharon, "Athena, call the Galactica, have the deck crew prep for the Doctor's arrival. Have Marines on the flight deck and alert fighters on standby. The rest of you, we're going back to our ships and if the Doctor's information checks out we'll jump away from here immediately." He turned back to the Doctor, "Gods help you if I even think you're trying to trick us."

The Doctor leaned towards Rose and muttered, "Rather untrusting lot, aren't they?" Rose nodded and the Doctor resumed his previous upbeat attitude, "Right then! All aboard the TARDIS, allons-y!"

Kara and Lee followed the pair towards the blue box the pair had referred to as the TARDIS. With a flourish he pushed opened the door and held out his arm, "Welcome aboard the TARDIS! That would be; T-A-R-D-I-S; Time and Relative Dimension In Space."

Lee stepped inside with wide eyes. The ship was indeed bigger on the inside, with a hexagon motif. He looked around at the large coral-like pillars and the metallic walls, the blue-lit pillar in the center of the room with some sort of control panel at the base. The doctor removed his duster and tossed it over one of the pillars by the door.

His eyes finally met Kara's after he took everything in and saw her look of undisguised wonder. He reached over and squeezed her hand; it made his heart leap when she squeezed back.

Rose passed them as she removed her jacket and tossed it over the hand railing before hopping into the jump seat. The Doctor gave them a cocky grin before he stepped up to the controls. He cracked his knuckles much like a pianist before his fingers danced over the controls with a deft touch, "Now, let's see… The Galactica is in orbit." He stopped at the monitor and smiled, "There you are… Port Flight Deck…" He turned to Lee and Kara, "You might want to brace yourselves."

With that word of warning he flipped a lever. The column in the center began to pulse like a large piston in an engine, making the noise they had heard earlier. The TARDIS lurched but it didn't feel like they were airborne. The Doctor moved around the control console; toggling switches or turning dials and at one point pulling out a rubber mallet and striking the panel with it.

There was a thump and the rotor stopped moving. "Well, as much as I like having guns waved about in front of me." He turned to Kara parenthetically, "That would be 'not at all.' If your marines are anything like their Commanding Officer I think it would be best if you two stepped out and calmed them down."

Lee and Kara nodded to each other and exited the TARDIS to prevent their would-be benefactor from being riddled with holes.

&#&#&

Several hours passed as The Doctor along with Lt. Gaeta, a Six, D'Anna and Tori poured over charts. He not only showed them the course they could take to Earth but explained the history of the system and the resources that might have led the Thirteenth Tribe to the planet originally. He also explained the history of the planet they had found. Humanity had evolved on Earth semi-independently of Kobol and had been living on Earth long before the Thirteenth Tribe arrived.

It seemed that once the Thirteenth Tribe had left Kobol there had been another schism; this time between a group of people who believed that they should give up the pursuit of technology and science in favor of devoting themselves to the worship of the Lords of Kobol alongside of the humans on Earth.

A second group wished to study the higher mysteries of science while the third group consisted of the worshipers of "The One, True God." The first group settled on Earth while the other two groups came to this planet. When they arrived on this world they called the world "Cylon." The name translated into modern Koboli as Earth as they believed that the other Twelve Tribes would eventually seek them out.

In the years that followed the group on the planet below had forgotten about their brethren until they went to war, the War that left Cylon in ruins. The Doctor wasn't sure but he believed that the Final Five were refugees of that war and arrived at the Colonies only to see the cycle beginning again.

Finally, the Doctor informed them that he would travel ahead and make sure that Earth was ready for their arrival and arrangements for their settlement could be made.

Finally, the time for the Doctor's departure came. In addition to those that had been on the surface when he arrived, much of the crew gathered on the flight deck to see him off. The Doctor grinned at the gathered crowd. His eyes finally settled on the Admiral and Laura who'd stood at the front and said, "The trip should take you about ten days, barring any problems. Trust me, Earth is a wonderful place and the time you're arriving it is almost perfect too. They're just starting to really accept their place in the Universe and your arrival will be a testament to that place."

He then turned to Lee and Kara, "There's one thing left however, as a Time Lord it is my duty to help maintain the timeline. History states that Kara Thrace was the first human from the Twelve Colonies to set foot on Earth and I think I should help that along. One more trip in the TARDIS, what do you say?"

Kara smirked then turned to Lee, "The fancy-pants alien boy is into blondes." The Doctor looked scandalized while Rose's eyes narrowed to angry slits. Lee felt his ears burning as a flash of jealousy shot through and judging by the way Kara's eyes glinted wickedly, that was by her design.

He might not have been able to quell the jealousy so quickly had Kara's fingers not laced between his and her thumb gently stroked along the top of his hand. Instead he merely grinned then winked at Rose and said, "I can't argue his taste."

Kara rolled her eyes at Lee as she spoke to the Doctor, "Can I bring a plus-one?"

The Time Lord shook his head with a grin, "I'd prefer it." He then led Rose along with Lee and Kara into the TARTDIS.

&#&#&

Kara stepped out of the TARDIS onto a different planet.

More then that, she wasn't just setting foot on any old rock; this was Earth. This was it, the home of the Thirteenth Tribe.

She'd made it, more then that… She'd brought Lee there with her.

The Universe could officially go frak itself because Kara Thrace, hopeless frak-up and champion of self-destruction had come through enough to last a lifetime.

Lee's hand squeezed hers and he whispered in her ear; "I'll be damned; 'Big blue oceans, fluffy white clouds…' You were right." She turned to him and he winked, "I love it."

They were on a tropical beach, rich green vegetation surrounded them, and bird calls could be heard in the distance while white sand was beneath their feet. Further inland were green hills and what looked to be a mountain. The air was warm and sweet with a hint of salt in the ocean breeze, a breeze from the bright blue ocean that was laid out before them.

The few white caps in the distance and the scattered volcanic rocks that jutted from the surface were not enough to make it look anything but tranquil. It was perfect, it was absolutely perfect. She couldn't help herself; she leaned into Lee's side and smiled when she felt his arm settle over her shoulders.

After a while, the Doctor and Rose stepped out next to them, "Welcome to Earth. This is a beach on the northwest shore of Kaua'i, which is part of a chain of islands called Hawaii. Hawaii is part of a nation known as 'The United States.' Lovely little island, they call it 'the Garden Isle.' We're not far from Nā Pali State Park and we're extremely secluded.

"I admit I don't know everything about your journey but I do think the two of you could use with a little seclusion. I've brought us back a few days in time, and I'll begin speaking with some people I know to make some arrangements for your fleet. By the time the Fleet arrives you'll have had two weeks of rest, relaxation and privacy."

They had only barely heard his words and paid him no attention at all. In fact they barely heard the sound of the TARDIS as it dematerialized. All Lee and Kara could see was each other's eyes as they stared into each other's faces. Finally Kara smiled and said, "Surprised we made it?"

Lee shook his head, "Not even a little bit. I knew you'd get us here because I believe in you."

She blinked back tears for a moment before she felt an amused smirk stretch her lips, "You believe in me?" He nodded and she continued in a more mocking tone, "That's sweet. You believe in me. Is that because you love me?"

He rolled his eyes, "I see I'll never live that down."

She winked, "Nope. No take backs after all." They laughed and Lee wrapped her up in his arms before she nestled into his embrace and said, "I 'believe in you' too. No take backs."

He nodded, "Good, because I wouldn't want you to take them back."

Kara stepped out of his arms while hanging onto his hand then they turned back to where the TARDIS had been and smiled at the tent and camping supplies left in the ship's stead. She then looked back out at the water. "So… Secluded tropical beach for two weeks on the home of that bright, shiny future we've heard so much about."

Lee nodded and squeezed her hand affectionately, "Yep." He then turned to Kara with a wicked gleam in his eye as he pulled off his suit jacket. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

She looked him up and down then made a show of licking her lips as she began to unbutton her BDU jacket, "Fancy a skinny dip in that big blue ocean?"

A yank sent his tie flying as he fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, "You _are_ thinking what I'm thinking!"

Less than a minute later, if anyone had passed by the private stretch beach they would have seen two wildly laughing naked people playing out in the surf. No one did though which is why they eventually got past the playing and on to more enjoyable pursuits.

--End--


	3. Spoiling

**Spoiling**

_What if Shaw had survived the Guardian Basestar Strike?_

_Battlestar Pegasus_

_Orbital Patrol Over New Caprica: Day 370_

_Lee Adama: Commanding_

It had been nearly a year since the Fleet began settling on New Caprica and the President had ordered the military to Condition Four. Nearly a year of quietly circling a planet while Baltar played at being a leader, while the people had gone from hopeful to disheartened to bitter and jaded. Nearly a year since Baltar had all but forced him into allowing people to muster out. So many friends and colleagues had moved down to the surface, dreams of a civilian life and perhaps happiness slowly murdered by countless days of grey skies and cold tents. Ten months of a people grinding towards apathy.

It was no better in the skies above, every day it seemed that the ships in orbit got a little more barren. For that matter, the skies themselves grew emptier; first Colonial One then many of the industrial ships landed to begin planet side industry.

As more and more people settled below other ships disappeared from orbit, some of them landing and others cannibalized to repair the remaining ships. Finally as more and more of Galactica and Pegasus' crew mustered out and pilots became more and more scarce, the CAPs disappeared as well. Between the two battlestars, they had over two hundred vipers and almost fifty raptors, but less than fifty pilots. Even then, Pegasus gave a valiant effort at maintaining it.

Walking her corridors, Bill Adama couldn't help but catalogue the differences between his own battlestar and this one. The halls were dimly lit but didn't feel abandoned. On Galactica the dress code was beginning to fall apart, just this morning he'd noticed Karl's shaggy hair while his rank insignia were sitting rather haphazardly on his collar and Bill's own mustache was a little unkempt for that matter. Every officer and enlisted on the Beast was inspection ready, boots shining, uniforms were pressed and stain free, even on the flight deck. The groups may have been smaller, but Bill still noticed pilots and marines on their PT runs.

The ship just felt a little more alive than Galactica.

Bill frowned, he'd referred to Galactica as a lighthouse a few hours ago when he told Saul to head down to the surface, that's what the old girl felt like now. Lee may have had the fraction of the crew necessary but his ship was still alive.

Then again, he imagined it'd take more than three hundred days of nothing to breakdown Kendra Shaw. Lee had long called his XO a "razor" something he said came from Admiral Cain, Saul and some of the Pegasus alumni called her "The Bulldog." From the moment Bill met the young woman, he couldn't help but agree with his oldest friend.

The woman was hard in the mold of Cain, unyielding, remote and all business. She'd also been wounded; Lee'd even suspected she was begging the Gods to take her life for what had happened on the Scylla. Bill assumed that was what gave her the edge she had in her first weeks as XO.

After the settlement began she and Lee had seemed to make peace with the Scylla, at least privately. However, anyone who had expected her to soften as a result was surprised. Severely.

In fact, in the months they'd spent over New Caprica, she'd honed an edge in Lee, one that reflected in Pegasus' crew. While discipline throughout the fleet turned lax and even broke down, Pegasus was a beacon of order in the night. The split between resignations from Galactica and Pegasus was nearly seventy-thirty. It grew to the point that the crew of the Beast all but looked down their noses at Galactica.

He'd noticed it a couple of days earlier as he was inspecting the flight deck. He noticed three deckhands and a pilot working on a Mark VII, all four were relatively recent transfers from Pegasus but they'd all been on board at least a few weeks and Bill quickly noticed that each of them still wore the silver and blue Pegasus patches.

At the time, Bill had noted it with a frown and when he'd asked Kelly in passing later in the day she'd said that Pegasus transfers were all whispering to each other that since Pegasus was the last **_true_** Military ship in the Fleet they refused to give up their association with their former ship.

While he had frowned at the sight of the patches, he grimaced inside at the reasoning behind them. Galactica was coming apart piece by piece and her once proud crew had either abandoned her for the surface or left her to wither… and it was under his watch.

He was failing a ship that had been a part of his life for decades and it tore at him.

This is what brought him to the Pegasus today.

He came upon the officers' gym moments later and found a hulking marine at the hatch decked out in full tac-gear. Dark, tightly cropped hair could be seen underneath his helmet and his blue eyes were little more than narrow slits. The horrific scar on his right cheek was prominent and seemed strangely fitting on the man.

Bill remembered seeing the marine's file, his name was Fenix and he spent most of Cain's command after the Attacks in the brig when he attempted to stop Thorne from one of his interrogation sessions with the Six. Fisk kept him there as well, likely suspecting that Fenix would not approve of his black market ties. Garner had reinstated him, as a private.

Lee, however, had restored the rank of Sergeant upon taking command and placed him in charge of his marines. Fenix snapped off a salute, "Admiral." If anything, Fenix had an even harsher voice than Bill's and it almost amused him.

"Sergeant, I'm here to speak with the Commander."

Fenix nodded, "He and the XO are inside. They're in the middle of hand-to-hand training."

Bill raised an eyebrow, "I would think that Major Shaw would already be versed in basic hand-to-hand."

The marine chuckled darkly, "This ain't basic, sir. What they're doing is advanced training, special ops combat. I've been teaching it to the marines for months and the CO and XO a few weeks now. Hardcore shit."

Adama nodded and stepped into the gym to find the Commander of Pegasus and his XO circling each other on the sparring mats. Both had a sheen of sweat and Lee was sporting a split lip, suggesting that they were sparring full contact. Lee brought his guard up then shuffled forward, Kendra ducked his left hook, which looked to be a feint as his right leg immediately swung in and caught her on the thigh. She stepped into the kick and locked the leg with her left arm, while her right forearm came down hard on his thigh.

Lee landed on the mat and immediately did a backwards roll. Shaw followed him, her shoe crashing downwards in an attempt to stomp his skull.

Suddenly, Lee's leg snapped out and caught Shaw in the back of the knees. He rolled forward as she crashed to the mat, his legs sciccored around and pinned her head against her left arm, he gripped her wrist and tightened his thighs as he pulled back on her arm painfully. After she tapped the mat in surrender, Lee released the hold and sprang to his feet before helping Shaw to hers.

His son was lean and defined muscles played under his skin, he was in fighting shape. It didn't really take Bill too much by surprise, the whole crew had a restlessness in them. Now that he thought about it, he'd noticed plenty of swollen lips and blackened eyes in the corridors.

It was as though they were spoiling for a fight, and if the Cylons weren't going to provide one they'd get one from each other. He wondered at the wisdom of that kind of attitude but he could not argue with the results. The pair didn't seem to notice him as they toweled off, Lee spoke as he dried his damp hair, "I'm going to head down to the starboard bottom side flight deck, Laird wants to show me his plans for the Mark VIII this afternoon."

Shaw nodded as she draped her towel over her shoulder, "Understood."

She then did something surprising to Bill, she reached up and dabbed at the blood coming from Lee's lip, "Get that looked at today too, okay?" He was stunned at the soft tone she took at that moment, was this the same woman who could outdo even Tigh for most hard-assed XO in the Fleet?

Lee smirked at her and Bill felt as though he was seeing something that had been happening under his nose for far longer than he would like to admit, his son spoke with a lighter tone than Bill had heard in months. "What's this? Is the Bulldog concerned for another human being?"

She gave him a rather flirtatious smirk and then said, "Not at all, I've grown rather fond of those lips and don't relish the idea of them being damaged." He watched his son's hand lightly take Kendra's hand as she started to step away. "I'm going to hit the shower then head up to CIC."

Lee nodded, "I'll be along."

She stepped away and acknowledged Bill for the first time, "By your leave, Admiral?"

He nodded absent mindedly and she was gone, he turned towards Lee's voice as he sat down on a nearby bench and grabbed a bottle of water, "Admiral. This is a pleasant shock. Surprise inspection?"

He shook the moment between the two Pegasus officers off and filed it for later discussion. "No… I need to discuss something with you. Do you have a few minutes?"

Lee chuckled, "Sir, I've got almost nothing but time lately." He stood, "Would you like to discuss this in my cabin?" Bill nodded and the two left the gym for Lee's cabin. He noticed vaguely that Sergeant Fenix was following behind them a few feet.

"I understand that you've been taking advanced hand-to-hand training."

Lee nodded, "It's something the Marine Corps developed, and it's very effective. It's also very taxing on the body. The Marines are starting to teach it to the whole crew, it gives us a chance to vent frustrations before they run too high."

They entered Lee's cabin a few moments later and Lee lead them over to his desk where a few reports awaited his signature. Lee ignored them as they each took a seat, "So, I understand you finally convinced Colonel Tigh it was okay for him to muster out."

Bill nodded with a frown, "Yes, he's almost as stubborn as you."

A wide, sarcastic smile graced his son's face before he said; "'Stubbornness is the Adama Birthright.'"

The Old Man chuckled, "I've heard that once or twice before." Truthfully, it was a favorite saying of Carolanne's. He'd heard it once or twice to be sure… once or twice a day. "Saul's a good friend, and a good XO. He's been by my side through some very hard times, he was willing to waste away by my side in orbit around this rock. I just couldn't let him do it."

Lee nodded but his face had turned closed and his eyes darkened, Bill knew his son's opinions on New Caprica. It was easy to deduce by his frequent rumblings about continuing the search for Earth without either the Fleet or Baltar's approval. At one time he suspected it was linked to the falling out he had first with Kara and then with Dee.

Both women had left the service to settle down on the planet and he suspected both had hurt Lee deeply when they had done so. Kara was married to Sam and he'd heard from Laura that Dee had been seen often in the company of Cole Taylor, Lee's former CAG.

It wouldn't surprise Bill at all if Lee'd want to leave those memories behind.

Bill looked around, noticing the Orders of Command framed behind Lee's desk as well as a few mementos Bill had given him when Lee took command. What was most prominent was the name plate from Lee's Mark VII. Bill had ordered it restored for Lee's birthday six months earlier. Bill smiled. Technically, the plate had never been used as Lee'd never actually flown as a Major.

His son ran his fingers through his damp hair as he spoke, "So, what brings you over to Pegasus? I'd assumed Captain Agathon was taking over for Tigh. Has anyone else mustered out?"

Bill shook his head sadly, "Not yet. I came to talk about the future of the Fleet. I've noticed a bit of a breakdown in military discipline."

Lee nodded and sat forward as he folded his hands in front of him, "I'm doing the best I can on Pegasus sir. We are extremely undermanned but my people have performed admirably."

He nodded, "Forgive me Lee; I wasn't slighting your crew. I can understand the need for officers to blow off steam with a little full-contact sparring. That's part of the reason I was Golden Gloves. Unfortunately, I was referring more to my own crew. There's been something of a silent protest on Galactica recently, Pegasus transfers haven't been changing their crew patches over."

Lee scowled, "Sir, if you think-"

A raised hand stalled Lee's protest, "Lee. It's not them. You haven't been over to Galactica recently; I'm ashamed to say that the old girl is coming apart piece by piece. In a strange way, it's praise for how well you've turned Pegasus around Lee. They respect Pegasus and that's because of her CO. For that alone you should be proud of how you've handled your command.

"This reflects on me more than anything. I've spent the months, brooding alone in my cabin while Baltar stripped away everything Laura built up and seduced some of our best people down to that frakking mud ball. Now that I've finally stuck my head out of my cabin and looked around my ship, I'm ashamed that I've let it get this far."

He sighed, "I've lost control of my command."

Lee was quick to try to defend Bill from his self-recrimination, "Dad. It's not so bad, you can whip the crew back into shape, they just need some pride again. You can-"

He cut his son off harshly, "**_I_** can't. I'm tired, Lee."

Lee's right hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose, it seemed his son knew where this was heading. "Dad, don't do this…"

"I spoke with Laura, and she's willing to let a beaten down old man stay in her tent for a while. I'm going to take a leave of absence, maybe temporary… maybe not."

"Dad-"

He pushed on, "I need someone to take command of the Fleet in my place, Lee. More than that, I need someone to give the Old Girl her pride back." He reached into his pocket and produced a jeweler's box then placed it on the desk between them. "I want you to take command of Galactica Lee, give her crew a reason to tip their chins up and push forward. Give them a reason not to lie down in the mud." Bill opened the box to reveal a pair of rank pins for Rear Admiral-Lower Half, one grade below his father's.

Lee looked between them and his father for a long time, "And when you return?"

Bill smiled sadly, "When I return, you'll return to Pegasus. However, you should be prepared in case I don't. Lee, you were right when you told Baltar that someday the Fleet will return to the skies and seek out Earth. Pegasus and Galactica will have to be prepared for that day. You'll command Galactica, I'd recommend placing Major Shaw in command of Pegasus." Lee reached and took the box with a sad smile, "Which brings me to something else…"

Lee looked up, "It's not quite what you think dad. It's… comfortable. We don't have any expectations of each other right now. I don't want you thinking that I'll have to put my XO on maternity leave or anything. After Kara and Dee… I'm not looking for that anymore."

Bill nodded but still couldn't help a grin, "Don't rule anything out son. I want you to be happy, whether that means marriage or not is up to you but just don't rule anything out." He stood up, "I'm going to pack some more things then take a raptor down to the surface in the morning. We'll announce it to the crew then."

Lee stood up as well, "And the President?"

With the hint of a smirk, his father bit out, "Frak Baltar!"

Lee barked out a laugh, "Not even if you paid me, sir!"

Bill grinned, "Fair enough, Admiral Adama. I'll see you tomorrow."

&#&

_Battlestar Galactica_

_Orbital Patrol Over New Caprica: Day 380_

_Lee Adama: Commander of the Fleet_

Admiral Lee Adama walked the halls with a scowl, his father hadn't been exaggerating when he spoke of the decay of Galactica; both her systems and her crew's morale. Half the lights didn't work and the ones that did all seemed to be shorting out. Each problem seemed to leave the newly minted Admiral's blood pressure a little higher than it was before. Private Jaffee was alongside him, a clipboard in hand taking down notes.

Lee'd drafted the young man as his Aide-de-camp and the pair had been performing a detailed inspection of the ship before his watch in CIC every morning. He'd had maintenance working triple-time to catch up on all the repairs Lee'd ordered as well as round-the-clock alert drills in every section, Lee demanded at least fifteen percent improvement in response time for every drill.

He'd order all officers into dress blues when not in quarters and ordered a strict return to dress and grooming code for the entire crew. He'd run Jaffee, Helo and Kat ragged getting the crew back on their feet and acting like officers and enlisted again. His people from Pegasus seemed to welcome the new attitude and after a couple days of severe culture shock, the Galactica people had come around faster then expected.

Still, if Kendra had taught him anything it was that he couldn't show that he was at all pleased until the job was done. He paused at the hatch to a small arms locker on B Deck and looked it over, "Paint's chipped signs of rust and…" He paused to enter his pass code. He then spun the wheel and pushed the hatch open, "Hatch sticks, I want that fixed in the next hour."

Jaffee scribbled onto his board hurriedly as he said, "Aye sir."

Lee turned down the corridor and continued towards the next section, Jaffee hot on his heels. They were passed by Hot Dog and Racetrack in the middle of a PT run, the pair paused only long enough to salute Lee before his salute and absent-minded "As you were" sent them on their way.

As Lee was about to make a surprise inspection of sickbay he was paged over the PA. He stepped to the nearest phone after instructing Jaffee to get his repair orders underway. He picked up the receiver and connected to CIC, after a moment Kelly answered. "This is the Admiral."

Kelly's voice was a little wary as he reported, "_Call from the surface for you sir._"

Lee suppressed as sigh, it was probably the President, sniping at him. One of Baltar's sycophants had seen his father in civvies on the surface and Baltar had been calling up to Galactica to gloat on a daily basis. It was nearly enough for him to order Kat and Hot Dog on a bombing run. "I'm on my way."

He walked briskly up to CIC, if for nothing else then to get it over with. When arrived on deck, he found Kelly staring intently at his DRADIS display at Tactical while Karl looked strangely uncomfortable at the Tac Table. Lee ignored the two officers as he picked up the receiver, "Fleet Actual."

"_Lee?_"

The hairs on the back of his neck rose as a chill raced down his spine, of all the people on the surface below it was one of the few people he wanted to speak to _less_ than Baltar. He bit down on snide response after snide response and ignored the taste of bile on his tongue. "Mrs. Anders, this is a military channel." He was rather surprised that he didn't simply slam the horn down and order that they cut off all communications with the surface. Still, there was a perverse part of him that wanted to hear what they were saying.

He ignored Karl's frown at Lee's tone for the moment, but he'd promised with a glare that they'd have a long conversation about the need for loyalty between the CO and XO when he ended this call. "_I spoke to the Old Man; he said he put you in command of the Fleet. Congratulations._"

Lee's free hand turned into a white knuckled fist, "Do you honestly think I give a frak about your congratulations?"

Kara actually sounded hurt when she muttered, "_Right._" She cleared her throat and continued, "_I need a favor._"

Lee found himself anything but surprised, "Is that right?"

"_I hear… I hear that you're-uh… you're hoarding a bunch of antibiotics for the pilots up there._"

He shook his head and decided he wouldn't imply that Sam gave her some sort of venereal disease and instead went with the most neutral question he could think of, "Where did you hear that?"

His eyes were drawn to the DRADIS as Kara spoke in clipped tones, "_Anders is sick. He has pneumonia, Lee. I think he might die._"

A blip on the screen caught his eye, "Wait one." He set the receiver down for a second, "Kelly, what is that on DRADIS?"

The former LSO entered a few commands into his console, "Not sure, Admiral. I'm coordinating with Pegasus right now."

He could hear Kara calling his name as he squinted at the screen. "Lords, how can we see anything through this frakking soup?" The blip resolved into a capital sized unknown then another and two more after that. Lee scowled, "Wait, what is that?"

Karl then stepped forward, "That's a Cylon Fleet." The moment the words were out of Karl's mouth the blips were identified as four Base Ships. A split second after that, they were launching raiders.

"Frak! Condition One!" He picked up the receiver, "Kara, listen-"

"_No, you listen-_"

His temper was finally loose, "SHUT UP! The Cylons have jumped into orbit, get my Father and find a place to bunker down! GO!" He didn't wait for a reply, just slammed the receiver down to get to work. "Get me Pegasus Actual! Report!"

Karl was talking to fire control, "Response to action stations is underway, but it's slow sir."

He picked up the receiver again when Kelly signaled he had Shaw on the line, "_We're at Condition One, Admiral. However we're still trying to get to action stations._"

Lee frowned, he could hear Kelly still trying to order weapons load. Realization was settling upon him heavily. "We're in no shape for a fight, inform the other ships. Get jump prep underway."

"_Admiral?_"

"Admiral?"

The question had come from two voices at once, one on Pegasus and the other from his XO. He scowled, he knew if there was anyone that wanted to fight the Cylons toe-to-toe more than he did these days it was Kendra. As for Karl, he'd rather die then abandon a friend in need. However, there was a difference between a fight and a massacre, "We're in no shape for a fight. We'll regroup and come back, but we have to go right now. See to my orders."

Karl gave him a stuttering nod as he said, "Aye sir."

While Kendra said, "_Acknowledged Galactica, jump prep underway._"

Lee lowered the receiver and spoke with iron resolve, "We're leaving, but we'll be back."


	4. Impress Me

**Impress Me**

_Premise: What if Zak had never started Basic Flight?_

**_Picon_**

**_Colonial Fleet Flight School_**

**_Office of Captain Kara Thrace, Senior Flight Instructor_**

**_Ten Months Before the Fall_**

Kara Thrace read through the progress report in front of her with a smile. Brendan Costanza had been just a single incident away from washing out of the Fleet when she took him under her wing. She whipped him into shape and drove him to be a much better pilot she even gave him his callsign, Hot Dog.

Now with a stroke of her pen, Hot Dog was about to graduate at the top of his class. Considering his disciplinary record, she'd still had to pull some strings to get him an assignment but going by reputation, Galactica should be good for him.

She heard a knock on her door, she signed off on Costanza's training report before she looked up… only to see probably the beautiful man she'd ever seen in her life. The dark haired, blued-eyed man wore dress blues with Captain's insignia, pilot's wings and a Fleet HQ patch on his arm.

She drank in the sight of him greedily, torn between wondering if he was here on some business and hoping that some of her students had decided to prank her with a visit from a stripper. If the latter was the case… Well, she'd have this man out of his G-string and on his back before he could say "breakaway pants."

He gave her a knee-knocking smile and said, "Captain Thrace?"

She nodded and waved him to the chair, "That's me. May I help you, Captain?"

He crossed the office and sat down across from her, "Captain Lee Adama."

She took in the name, "That name's familiar."

He shrugged, "My father and my brother Zak are both in the service."

She nodded, "Zak! I was supposed to be his flight instructor but he went on emergency medical leave before we started that semester."

Lee nodded, "Zak was in a really bad car accident while visiting our mother. He was clipped by a drunk driver and busted his leg in four places. He spent weeks in the base hospital on Delphi."

She gasped and said, "I'm sorry."

He shrugged, "I'm not sure Zak would have done all that well, he never really wanted to fly but his father and his older brother were bother Viper pilots. It worked out for the best, Zak works for the JAG office now in the investigative unit."

She titled her head curiously, "How'd he end up there?"

The other pilot grinned, "He met a girl. My brother Zak will follow a girl to Kobol and back."

The pair shared a laugh before she said, "Thanks for the story, but what brings someone from Fleet HQ out here to Picon?"

He reached into his pocket and produced a data disk, he handed her the disk and she notice the "Top Secret: Eyes Only" stamp on it. She put the disk in and ran the program. A few moments later schematics appeared on her screen and she had to fight not to salivate. She only vaguely heard Lee say, "Captain Thrace, I present the Viper Mark Eight."

She flipped through the schematics like a child presented with the very latest video game console. "Oh, she's beautiful."

Lee's voice continued but she was too busy reading the engine stats, "They've improved the engines to coax out better speed and maneuverability. A new armor design and the most advanced tac computer in the twelve colonies."

She finally tore her eyes from the screen to look at him, "She's gorgeous."

He nodded, "I've been placed in charged of the project, they want active duty pilots involved to help avoid some of the problems the Fleet encountered with first generation of the Mark VIIs." He smirked at her, "That's why I'm here. I'm recruiting test pilots and something told me that the cadet that broke four of my seven records in flight school should be the first person I come to."

Kara's eyes brightened as her smirk widened, "And I here I thought the prospect of frakking you through a wall was the most exciting thing I've thought of since you walked in."

She expected him to blush or at least expected his eyes to go wide for a moment. So she was surprised when he leaned forward and eyed her hungrily before he answered her smirk with a leer, "Don't sell that prospect short."

They locked eyes and she could practically feel electricity arcing between them, all she could concentrate was the pooling warmth in her belly and the quickening of her pulse. Finally, a pleased if throaty laugh bubbled out of her and she leaned back in her chair. "So, tell me. How many pilots are you recruiting?"

She noticed him adjust in his chair before crossing his legs carefully to adopt a nonchalant pose, "Three or four, you and I would be the lead pilots however."

She was trying to keep on topic but there was too much she could work with. She let a moan precede her next words, "Do you like being _led_, flyboy?"

His eyes were burning her up and his voice was very rich when he said, "I prefer to challenge the pilot on my wing." The silence between them spoke volumes, Kara was trying to decide if she could successfully pounce him from across her desk when he spoke again, "Why don't we discuss this further over dinner and maybe a drink or two?"

She made a show of looking him over again, "Listen, you don't need to get me drunk."

He nodded and stood, "Just dinner then."

She rose to her feet as well, "Yeah, you should probably load up on some carbs. I still need to be impressed by you."

He walked to the door and held it open for her, "I look forward to the challenge."

* * *

**_Battlestar Galactica_**

**_Armistice Day_**

**_Four hours before the De-Commissioning Ceremony_**

As the hatch closed behind the photographers, Bill walked over to the water carafe and began pouring out a glass before turning to the remaining occupants of the room. Like him, his two sons were in their dress greys. Lee's Captain's rank caught his eye, reminding Bill of the day of his eldest son's most recent promotion.

Bill had to pull a lot of strings but he'd been able to get Galactica ordered to co-ordinate with Atlantia for some Joint Simulations long enough to be in attendance. Just weeks later, Lee's application to the Mark VIII program had been accepted and he was transferred back to Caprica.

His younger son, Zak was nearly as tall as his brother and while he didn't have flight wings, his JAG insignia was more than enough to stir pride in Bill. "Would either of you like a drink?"

Lee shrugged while Zak smile, "Thank you, sir."

Bill grimaced, "Cut the 'sir' crap Zachariah."

His younger son cringed while Lee laughed and wink at his younger brother. A boisterous laugh brought Bill's attention to the other woman in the room. The young blonde woman was wearing dress blues and Captain's ranks. Bill was quick to notice the "Mark VIII Project" Assignment patch. He smiled to himself, pleased that he was finally going to get the young woman his wife had been raving about for months.

His thoughts turned to his wife and how she crowed that she would finally have the great Bill Adama all to herself for the first times since the pair reconciled while taking care of the youngest in the first weeks after his car accident. Ironically enough, the drunk driver that ended Zak's piloting career before it began had saved his parents' marriage.

Lee stepped forward and took the proffered glasses while calling the young woman over, "When's Mom getting in?"

Bill frowned, "Her shuttle's running late. She was supposed to be here in time for the photo op, I've been hearing it all day from Doral."

Lee nodded while Zak smirked, "Maybe you should've gotten Ellen Tigh up here to substitute for the pictures."

Bill grimaced while Lee leaned over to his companion and quickly gave her a summery of the attitudes of Ellen Tigh. He sent a semi-serious scowl at Zak while turning his attention on Lee and his companion. The woman made eye contact with him and he spoke, "Forgive my sons, they both seem too rude to introduce us. Bill Adama."

She smiled and held out her hand as his sons both blushed, "Kara Thrace. Lee's told me a lot about you."

He took her hand a said, "All bad, I'm sure." She chuckled. "I understand that you met Lee when he recruited you for the Mark VIII flights?"

She nodded, "He did, he told me that he wanted the pilot who broke four of his records in Flight School, but he was mistaken, I **broke** four of his records, but I tied two more."

Lee flushed while Kara smirked at him and Zak laughed, announcing that he was happy his fiancée, Lida wasn't nearly as competitive. This time both Lee and Kara flushed and turned sheepish looks back to Bill, "Lee?"

With a visible effort, Lee straightened his shoulders and proudly took Kara's hand, "I asked Kara to marry me, she said yes and we were going to announce it after your retirement dinner after Galactica got back to Caprica."

He gave the young woman an appraising glance before he smiled, "In that case, welcome to my family, Kara."

With a warm grin, Kara said "Thank you, sir."

Bill led the trio over to the chairs, "Lee still has an hour before his flight briefing, let's talk. You're a Viper pilot, obviously. What's your callsign?"

"Starbuck, sir. I was a flight instructor on Picon."

He nodded, "_That_ Starbuck, you've trained quite a few of my better young pilots. Ripper's has Costanza on his wing now, he was slotted to fly in the Ceremony but he sprained his ankle a few days ago. Did you teach him that jody call about the Cylon with its pants down?"

Kara gave him a smirk and he had a feeling it was a smirk he'd see a lot over the coming years, "Abso-frakkin'-lutely Commander."

He laughed and said, "Something tells me I'm going to like you, Starbuck."


End file.
